•Urban environments were tested for conservation of rare understory tree species.•Urban sites showed intermediate radiation between canopy open areas and forest sites.•Increased light enhanced ...photosynthesis, water use efficiency, and chlorophyll level.•Terraces can support species conservation via indoor gardening.•Urban environments have huge potential for conservation of rare tree species.
To investigate the potential for urban environments on Jeju Island, South Korea, to support the conservation of rare understory shrub species, specifically Daphne jejudoensis and Maesa japonica with limited habitat availability, several study sites were selected to assess the performance of these plants after transplanting. A study site similar to the original habitat (Fo), sites between building gaps (GapJ and GapC), a flowerbed in front of a building (FbJ), the rooftop of a building (Roof), and indoor terraces at higher latitude areas (TeSD and TeSM) were selected. Building gap sites and terrace sites displayed similar but a little lower canopy coverage to the forest site (80−90 %). The flowerbed site showed ∼ 50 % coverage, and the Roof site showed ∼ 30 % canopy coverage. Therefore, urban environmental sites (GapJ, GapC, TeSD, and TeSM) displayed similar canopy coverage to original habitats of D. jejudoensis and M. japonica, with stronger light intensity than the Fo site. Shortwave radiation energy from the sky hemisphere at urban environmental sites was only 15−50 % that of the Roof site and only 3 % that of the Fo site. Therefore, urban environmental sites displayed intermediate radiation between canopy open areas and forest sites. This increased light intensity and radiation led to significantly better performance for both shrub species in terms of photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, and chlorophyll content at urban environmental sites compared with canopy-opened Roof sites. Furthermore, these sites supported similar plant growth for D. jejudoensis and better growth for M. japonica compared with the Fo site. Therefore, urban environments possess huge potential for successful conservation of rare tree species with limited habitat range. Additionally, results for terrace sites suggest that D. jejudoensis and M. japonica have great potential as indoor gardening plants, which could support species conservation through public engagement. As a pioneering study, our findings highlight the great potential for species conservation using stable and accessible urban environments around buildings.
•The composition and distribution of vegetation have not changed for 500–1000 years.•Declines in Abies, Taxus and Pinus species are related to past land use and fire events.•Mid-Holocene woodland ...revival must be discussed in the light of today’s many fires.
The Mediterranean mountain zone is probably one of the parts of the world with the longest documented history of interactions between vegetation, climate, and human activities. The twofold objective of the present study was to examine and compare changes in three silvopastoral mountain areas, and to identify the natural and human processes that have shaped today's mountain landscapes. Although there were differences in vegetation and history between the three areas, there were also similarities in agropastoral practices, including livestock pressure and the use of fire. These similarities were supported by strong evidence based on soil charcoal and complemented by multiple other proxies (i.e., pollen analysis, archeology, historical documentation, and climatic data). The processes that led to the current physiognomy of the landscapes took place over the previous millennium, with a degree of synchrony over the past 500–800 years. The long co-evolution of humanity and landscape led us to reflect on the legacy of previous human practices and climatic changes, in terms of the composition of modern forests and the sensitivity of certain arboreal taxa (Pinus gr. sylvestris, Abies alba and Taxus baccata) that declined or disappeared during the late Holocene when the rates of vegetation change accelerated markedly. In summary, the comparative study of the history of the three highland landscapes attests to the interaction between long-term human impact (mainly pastoral societies, including livestock pressure and use of fire) and protracted climatic episodes that led to common changes in the study areas.
Host species has an important influence on the distribution of epiphytic lichens in forests. However, the importance of non-dominant trees in shaping lichen communities has been poorly studied owing ...to the relative rarity of individuals. The importance of dominant and non-dominant trees for distribution of epiphytic lichens was determined in eight subtropical forests in southwestern China. Dominant trees supported more abundant total and exclusive lichen species only in secondary forests. The occurrence of non-dominant trees promoted lichen diversity within forest types and influenced lichen communities on both tree groups. The effects of total tree species on lichen distribution largely resulted from the presence of non-dominant trees. Dominant and non-dominant trees supported distinct lichen assemblages within forest types, and ordination analyses showed a clear separation. Our study, therefore, reinforces the importance of non-dominant trees for conserving epiphytic lichens, and highlights that lichen assemblages are shaped by both dominant and non-dominant trees.
•The importance of dominant and non-dominant trees on epiphytic lichens was studied.•Dominant and non-dominant trees supported distinct lichen assemblages within stands.•The occurrence of non-dominant trees enhanced epiphytic lichen diversity.•Dominant trees were not always more important for lichen species.
► In an insect pollinated, temperate forest tree with self-incompatibility system individual trees showed selfing rates from 0% to 70% . ► Differences in mating patterns among trees were largely ...explained by variation in the local tree density surrounding the corresponding tree. ► We showed that local tree density, may represent a reliable surrogate for the quality of the mating environment from an individual’s perspective. ► Our results have important consequences for the management of naturally scattered, insect-pollinated tree species in temperate forests. ► Local tree density should be maintained above a certain threshold to minimize potential negative fitness consequences from self-fertilization.
Early on, researchers of evolutionary biology recognised that heterogeneity in the mating environment is an important source of variation in mating patterns. Focusing on the mating environment, we assessed the effect of conspecific tree density on mating patterns in the naturally scattered forest tree
Sorbus domestica L
. In an area of more than 100
km
2, we mapped and genotyped all 189 adult trees and performed a paternity analysis on seeds produced by single mothers. Despite a self-incompatibility system, average selfing rate was 31.9%, but with high variation among mother trees. Over 70% of this variation was explained by local density of conspecifics (i.e. within a radius of 300
m), with isolated trees being more prone to selfing. While we detected high selfing rates in progeny, adult trees showed no signs of inbreeding. As almost all inbreeding in the offspring could be attributed to self-fertilisation, we hypothesise that there is strong selection against selfed individuals. The effective reproductive output of isolated trees, which mainly self, is therefore greatly reduced. These findings have important consequences for the management of naturally scattered, insect-pollinated temperate tree species, often belonging to the family of Rosaceae. For these species, local density of conspecifics should be maintained above a certain threshold (i.e. 0.05
trees/ha in
S. domestica), to avoid negative fitness consequences from selfing.
Sampling to assess rare tree species poses methodic problems, because they may cluster and many plots with no such trees are to be expected. We used systematic adaptive cluster sampling (SACS) to ...sample three rare tree species in a forest area of about 40
ha in Nepal. We checked its applicability and efficiency and compared it to conventional systematic sampling. Comparison of SACS to conventional systematic sampling showed that efficiency for density estimation increased 500% for the clustered
Schima wallichii, but reduced 40% for the unclustered
Daphniphyllum himalayense. The method was found to be more efficient for larger groups of individuals of a rare species than for extremely small groups. SACS may also be used to establish relationships with spatially referenced variables, but data availability was a constraint. SACS is a promising design for resource managers and survey specialists dealing with rare and endangered species in the context of biodiversity and sustainable forest management.
Mountain forests are sensitive ecosystems. This is why in recent years the dynamics of these forest ecotones have been researched from several different approaches. One of these has been the ...paleoecological perspective, which is particularly interesting in the mountainous areas of the Mediterranean region, where interactions between climate, vegetation and anthropic activities have been documented for millennia. This is the case of the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park (southwestern Baetic Cordillera), a mountainous area that constitutes an important refuge for flora in southern Iberian Peninsula. At present, endemic trees such as Abies pinsapo and Quercus faginea subs. alpestris are found. However, its strategic geographical location may also have served in the past as a refuge for other tree taxa. In order to reconstruct the vegetation history in this protected natural area, this research aims to use pedoanthracological analysis in an unexplored area of this mountainous system. The results obtained have allowed to identify a new paleopopulation of Abies, a finding that provides new keys on the paleobiogeography of this species. This is the oldest evidence of this genus and at the highest altitude of those found to date in the southwestern Baetic Cordillera, which would confirm that this fir tree was present in high elevations of the Sierra de las Nieves during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Likewise, the first anthracological evidence of Pinus nigra/sylvestris type in the southwestern end of the Baetic Cordillera has been obtained. Forest fires could have been one of the main factors which would be determined the shaping and evolution of the vegetation landscape, as suggested by the fire events identified from the soil analysis. This information can be useful for the conservation and adaptive management of the most threatened forests and their habitats in the face of global change.
In order to develop an efficient micropropagation system for a rare tree species, Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum K. Koch, the effect of medium salt, cytokinins and auxin at different concentration ...were evaluated. Shoot induction from axillary bud was better on WPM medium than on MS medium. Although there was no significant differences observed in shoot induction among the salt strengths of WPM medium, whereas healthy shoots were developed on basal WPM medium. In comparison of the cytokinins affecting shoot proliferation, zeatin was better than BA, whereas BA exhibited more effectiveness on shoot elongation. In vitro root formation was better on WPM medium than on 1/2MS medium and achieved the highest rooting rate when 5.0 mg/L IBA treatment. 93% of rooted plantlets were survived on artificial soil mixture after 4 weeks of acclimatization. Above results suggest that a rare tree species, E. nigrum var. japonicum can be micropropagated via axillary bud cultures.
Seed germination treatments of some rare tree species for forest restoration in northern Thailand Duangduen Koonyodying(Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai (Thailand). Faculty of Science. Program in Environmental Science); Elliott, Stephen(Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai (Thailand). Faculty of Science. Department of Biology); Prasit Wangpakapattanawong(Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai (Thailand). Faculty of Science. Department of Biology) E-mail:prasit.w@chiangmai.ac.th
Warasān wičhai Mō̧.Khō̧. = KKU research journal,
20/Oct
Journal Article
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